


Sunset

by alafaye



Series: Travels [2]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-01
Updated: 2012-12-01
Packaged: 2017-11-20 00:21:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/579234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alafaye/pseuds/alafaye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack has a surprise for Ianto.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunset

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2012 holiday advent challenge at the LJ community adventchallenge. This is day 1, prompt "solstice".
> 
> Also covers my bingo square of "wonder" for cotton candy bingo at DW.

Ianto wrapped his coat tighter and stared into the blinding white of the snowstorm. "What are we doing here?"

Jack tapped away at his wrist strap with a frown. "I got the landing wrong, sorry. However, if we walk just a few minutes east, we'll find exactly what we're looking for."

Ianto turned his steps in the vague direction. "And just what are we looking for?"

Jack smirked and winked, not giving anything away. Ianto sighed and followed him. 'A few minutes' turned into almost half an hour by his reckoning, but they soon caught sight of a town lit up. As they got closer, Ianto could hear a soft melody playing. 

"Keep your eye out for a woman with purple hair and a green jacket," Jack said. He was looking down streets and sometimes into buildings.

Ianto sighed, but did as Jack asked. They passed several streets until they heard someone calling for Jack. They looked back and saw a woman running to catch up with them. "You made it!" she exclaimed with a smile. She hugged Jack and then turned to Ianto. "Hey, you."

Ianto frowned and looked at Jack who put his hands in his pockets and raised his chin. Ianto psychically reached out to her and felt a very familiar mind. "Jenny?"

She laughed and launched herself into his arms. "It's so good to see you!"

He chuckled and hugged her close. "Jen. I've missed you."

The last time they'd seen each other had been about fifty years for Ianto. He'd been working for a small rebel group trying to end the dictatorship of a man who had destroyed the planet. When he had stormed the palace with his team, he'd run into Jen who had wandered into the mess, as was her biological inclination. They'd travelled together for a few years after that, getting into trouble and saving people and sometimes teamed up with the Doctor.

"Small universe, eh?" Jack teased.

Ianto eased up on the hug, but didn't let go of Jen. Their friendship was deep and it had been too long. "How do you know each other?"

"He was with Dad one time when I needed his help," Jen explained. "Before I met you, of course. I didn't know you two knew each other until Jack sent me a message last month." She winked. "I like it. You two are perfect for each other."

Jack chuckled and put an arm around her shoulders. "Why, thank you. I'm always pleased to meet people who will encourage Ianto to stay with me."

"Hey," Ianto protested. "Don't listen to him. He needs no help when it comes to convincing me to stay. A force of nature he is."

Jen sighed and wrapped an arm around both their waists. She squeezed them in a loose hug. "Well, now that you're here, you can celebrate with us!"

"Celebrate?" Ianto echoed. "Celebrate what?"

"You'll see," she said, almost forbodingly.

~~~

They walked through the town, still arm in arm, until they were climbing a small hill. The snow had stopped minutes ago and the cool, peaceful silence that follows a snow fall settled in. The town's occupants--a race that had tentacles for arms, blue skin, no hair, and very expressive green eyes--joined them in their walk, though Ianto got the feeling it wasn't so much joining them as participating in something familiar.

"Where are we?" Ianto asked. "Jack wouldn't tell me."

"Bruelthyn," Jen said. "It was once mostly water, but a massive asteroid struck it about a hundred million years ago. Most of the species died off, but some survived and adapted until another climate shift created an almost frozen world." It explained the strange evolution, in a way, Ianto thought.

"But between the asteroid dropping a few new minerals on the planet and the climate shift, something unique happened," Jack continued.

"Like Earth, they have seasons," Jen said. "There really isn't a difference in the weather, but it does affect the days and the temperature. Which is why it's so cold. Today is what would be the winter solstice on your Earth. We're at the farthest point from the system's sun and this far north, we're tipped away from it."

"Right," Ianto said. "So?"

"This planet also has a unique moon," Jen chided. "It not only reflects the light from the sun, but from the planet. If it were any bigger, it would be its own planet, but it's technically a moon. Due to its size, however, the light it gives off is incredible. And today, because the sun is so weak here, we're in for a light show."

"The minerals that were deposited here from the asteroid are peculiar," Jack said. "They react negatively to solar rays. They tend to remain on the ground due to the reaction--it does something to their density. However, in the winter when the sun is weaker, they get stirred up in the storms. Means there's more of them in the atmosphere. And when the sun sets..."

Ianto waited to hear more, but he was distracted by something that moved in front of his face. He frowned and turned to look, but there wasn't anything. Jen fidgeted. "Here it comes."

The crowd held its breath as the sun sank completely below the horizon and little specks of light started popping up. Moments later, the moon rose over the horizon and the lights grew in number and intensity. It looked almost like the Aurora Borealis from Earth, but not. There was no ribbon or pattern and some of the colors, Ianto had never seen before.

"It's a light show," Jack whispered.

Jen left when she was called over by someone holding a data pad and Jack stepped into her spot, arm tight around Ianto's back. "Beautiful?"

Ianto smiled and rested his head on Jack's shoulder. "Beautiful. Thank you."

Jack kissed his head. "You're welcome."


End file.
